Update: 8 p.m.
We all knew the Sacramento Kings would be bad this season, but this is reaching levels most never thought possible. With its 8th loss in a row, the Kings drop to a putrid 3-13 on the season. They lost by 41 to a team that is nearly as bad as them. As a reminder: The Kings were TRYING to win this season. Instead, they are somehow tanking without trying to tank. It’s incredible, and the fans deserve much better.
Keegan Murray returned and played 33 minutes, he finished with 11 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist. Zach LaVine scored 26 in this impressive defeat. Keon Ellis played 16 minutes and Nique Clifford played 19 minutes. Had to get the vets their developmental minutes in this one.
Unbelievable.
From Earlier Preview:
The Sacramento Kings play basketball again today. The team is riding a 7-game losing streak with sole possession of 14th place in the Western Conference.
Sacramento is:
- 27th in defensive rating
- 25th in offensive rating
- 26th in net rating
- On pace for 16 wins this season
Can the unintentional tank keep rolling against the 4-11 Memphis Grizzlies? Most certainly it can!
Several reports indicate Keegan Murray will make his season debut so it will be good to see him back on the floor. As you might remember, Keegan’s goals this season were to get back to shooting 40% from three and landing on the most improved player list.
Who: Sacramento Kings vs. Memphis Grizzlies
Where: FedExForum, Memphis, TN
When: 5:00 PM PT/8:00 PM ET
Watch: NBCSCA / League Pass
Domantas Sabonis is not expected to play in this one. It will be interesting to see how Doug Christie implements Murray into this rotation that seems to always be in flux. With Sabonis out, he will likely share the front court with Drew Eubanks.
Prediction: Grizzles 117, Kings 116
Maybe we can call it the unintentional intentional tank?
CBS sports has the Kings as the team most needing a blow up and restart in the league.
https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/nba-rankings-teams-who-need-to-blow-it-up-with-trades-kings-pelicans-grizzlies/
I’ve got a feeling it’s gonna be a pretty active trade season come Dec. 15th
LaMelo seems like the ideal Vivek player!
Let’s rearrange all the O first no D deckchairs!
I would’nt trade Ja Morant for a ten foot pole. Even a 6″ pole. Maybe LaMelo Ball but I could see giving up way too much for either one.
That’s awesome! Thanks for the link.
We’re in a Tier of our own
Tier I: Kingdom Come
Kangzt
It’s over. Blow it up.
Free Max!!!
3-4 more weeks of excuses incoming!
It’s not like they were using Domas anyway, lol. This team is such a joke.
Vivek’s priority list:
Ja MorantTrae YoungJordan PooleKyle KuzmaD’Angelo RussellBradley BealKelly Oubre Jr.Kyrie IrvingDamian Lillard
Rec’d but Kelly Oubre Jr. doesn’t belong in that list anymore. He’s actually become a solid 2-way player with Philly. And reasonably priced. Swap him out for Kuminga.
If those were his priorities we are never going to be a good basketball team. Ever!
I am on my way
Except I wanna trade Sabonis too
So do I.He has had his time to make this team a contender.I think we can get a good return now not later. He is 29 and the older he gets the less his value.
So glad they traded Haliburton a waaay for somebody you can’t shoot. And then they don’t even run the o around SAbonus.
It’s incredible how much talent this owner has thrown away, wasted.
Some say we may trade for Morant.
Have to hope that it turns out we can’t.
Although Vivek’s desires
Could add fuel to the fires,
And lead to more “Sell the team” chants!
+1 “Who?…Vivek?…”
Do you mean KEY-gan Murray?
He is going to absolutely UNLOCK this mystery of roster construction so befuddling fans and commentators alike.
I think what a lot of fans need to understand is that Perry was reshaping this whole roster AROUND Keegan. That is one of the reasons he has asked Doug to keep Keon’s legs fresh and let the young guys in Westbrook and Schroeder get there reps, so they can at least be playable come post-season when things get more focused.
Kings are a young team, and it takes a minute to learn how to close out a game. They have lost so many nail-biters this season, it is easy to see how they could easily have another win if Keegan was out there with his calming presence.
The roster is stacked. All at the same position, but stacked. Overwhelming redundancies, some would say. They just need time. Familiarity. A lot of people don’t realize the Kings played in India many summers ago, and maybe jet lag is generational in a locker room environment and they have just been getting their legs back.
They are not short on talent. Wait until DDR and Lavine learn the nuances of each other’s game. Lethal. Look at how lethal it has been to the Kings, wait until they unleash that impotent lethality on opponents.
I would like to say the future is bright, but all I see is shade.
In terms of time, it took me exactly three possessions to read this.
Oh thanks Marty. I made some deliberate choices with you in mind. I can barely make it a quarter before I am changing to the opponents stream on NBALP.
I’ve missed the KEY-gan… Murray chants.
The sarcasm is strong with this one.
Kfan! Hope all is well friend.
Well, everything non-Kings related.
Unfortunately, the accumulation of injuries this season gives just enough cover for delusionals within the organization to keep this dysfunctional train rollin’ right along that ‘aim for the play-in with big name has-beens’ track. It would’ve been nice to have been historically bad while at full strength this season so there could be no denying what needs to happen w Vivek and his roster. Maybe that’s still coming, though. Let’s hope.
I hope there isn’t any longterm damage to Domas in regards to his career, but the injury for the Kings is a massive blessing. Three to four weeks, adds to losses and just adds to the pressure to deal the rest of the roster if you can in season. Even leaves a door of Domas on the block if he comes back and looks good. But we get losses in exchange.
Let’s be clear with these idiots in charge the tank isn’t guaranteed to happen, let alone not be squandered. But it’s the ONLY option to rectifying any of this and the injury helps this franchise come to that opinion.
Issue being the “GM” is the reason why when trying to build a winner this offseason traded JV for Saric.
Like even if they win by losing they are still losing. Even in a loaded draft I have zero hope they pick the right guy.
Also don’t think we are gonna get any takers this season by the trade deadline for anyone that isn’t Keegan, Keon, or maybe Russ.
Max seems allergic to staying with his man
Just watching the first quarter of this game is pathetic. Just hate watching like many of you. Such a sloppy team but honestly Zach LaVine has stuck out the most this game. Losing his man on defense and having a ton of f$%& it shots. That guy has a losing brand of basketball and doesn’t deserve minutes. I know I’m preaching to the choir but this team is going to implode shortly. When can we expect the players only meetings and trade requests?
but this team is going to implode shortly
Not sure but it may have just happened .
So Domas said in the off-season the Kings needed a point guard. So what does Perry do? He goes and picks up Schroder. This guy is absolutely washed.
Westbrook back on the floor. No sign of Ellis?
BJax ease off on the In-and-Out bro. Gotta get ready to be interim HC
I’m love watching this team fail, absolutely love to see it, no hate. 30 mil a year Keegan doesn’t seem to make much difference, what an overpay for a player who’s been a good role player.
LOL, judging Keegan on his first game, coming off the bench, since April. Also, his next deal never pays him $30M per year. He tops out a $28M in 2028-29.
FWIW, Keegan makes $4M more on his extension next season than Monk, and he plays defense.
I’ve never been impressed with Keegan in his entire time on the Kings, would’ve let him walk or given him $20 mil a year if he wanted it. I like that he plays defense, his offense is average.
i agree. What do some of you want? Comes back after a month and you expect him to score 20 and have 11 rebounds. The guy isn’t superman. Give him a break.
Keegan on another team is a highly functional 3 and D wing which teams pay a premium for.
This.
Telling some irrelevant story from last night over the last possession, all the way through the time out to the commercial.
So cringe. So bad.
I wonder how this year’s shit show is feeling for DDR right about now? He may be dreaming of the good ol’ days of last year’s shit show at this point.
Down by 37 after 3 quarters. Good thing Keegan is back for defense.
Checked the box score at half time, I just laughed. Can’t start Keegan for some reason. Nique and Keon glued to the bench because the old dudes need their exercise due to bone loss as they age.
What a shit show.
Run by a fucking moron. Vivek is the worst owner in sports.
I don’t envy Doug and having to deal with this change and roster at all… also love Doug the player and his intensity here was great back in the day.
I am so close to also getting to the point where I hate Doug for what he’s doing. The shifts and substitutions which I understand aren’t going to make a difference at all, are still horrible. Like he’s just throwing darts at this point.
Memphis goes big after they make that little run and he just swaps everyone out instead of letting Lavine keep going with Monk and Keegan. It’s like he doesn’t remember flow being a metric on the floor.
Nobody wanted Westbrook, but the stupid fucking kings. And somehow he gets more minutes than Keon.
just ridiculous. Everything about this organization is anti-intelligence.
Fuck this owner
Only watched the last 8 minutes of the 4th and man was that offensive while the starters/vets were in. Grizzles announcers were going back and forth talking about records the Grizzlies were setting and wondering how come Sac wasn’t playing hungry. Hope Vivek hears things like this.
Nothing can stop this tank!
With our luck, we’d get the #1 overall pick, look to draft a Giannis, and end up with a PapaGiannis
ay carumba – a 4-11 team just smacked us down by 41 points. If we work at it, I think the 9-73 76ers record is breakable…if we’re going to be terrible, let’s at least be historically terrible.
You need to aim lower. We can out-tank the 7-59 Bobcats if we don’t try hard enough.
Always in wince-now mode.
And-1: there are currently five teams in the league with sub-0.200 records. Of them, the Kings are the only one claiming to be in win-now mode.
Win no <———————————————> w
I tried to warn everyone before the season! I bet a nice little chunk of change on an alt-under below 30.5 wins because I was incredibly confident this was going to happen. This particular group of players has absolutely ZERO chance to be competitive.
I watched this thing on delay knowing the outcome. From that I focused on some things apart from the on court play.
I highly, HIGHLY, recommend everyone go back and speed watch that 4th quarter but only look at the Kings bench.
It is empty. All of the vets are way off screen at the farthest seats from the coaching staff, in fact, I’m not even sure they are are all even there. There are numerous empty seats with no players sitting next to the staff.
To his credit, the only vet I saw sitting there and talking with Carter was Dennis. As to LaVine, Monk, DDR, Russ…they are no where to be seen. There is no vet mentorship to help the youth through that ugly 4th quarter.
From all that. FUCK THEM. Fuck DDR. Fuck Monk, Fuck LaVine, Fuck Russ. Move them all. There is no commitment to the team or even giving some advice to the youth.
FUCK. THEM.
This is the impact of Vivek. It’s a negative dark cloud over the entire organization.
Vivek’s stench permeates the whole franchise – all employees including the players, and even the fanbase. Everyone associated with this franchise is suffering because of him.
Even with all that, this has to be a Kangz record for a coach losing the locker room.
That hysterical postgame rant publicly shaming his players had ZERO positive effects. Zero.
Not zero effort. Effort improved for a game and a half!
Yeah, they pick up 9 to 4 feet on defense.
Maybe Doug lost his cool again and put them on timeout?
If not, will there be consequences or will Doug let them run the asylum?
He probably told them “you haters will start playing the way I want you to one day, just watch!”.
Let’s see if I can attach a screen shot
That picture says a lot. Did the players say “fuck it” and go to the locker room early? Did the coaching staff tell them to get off the damn bench because they were embarrassing in that game?
I hope Doug benches Russ, LaVine, DDR, and Eubanks. Precious seems like he is fine, but the others stink.
Yup, that’s how it was for the entirety of the 4th quarter. Where are the 4 guards of the apocalypse?
I hope they all just flew back to Sac and started packing their stuff up. Let them stay home until they get traded.
We all knew this would not be a good defensive team, especially with Keegan out and Keon inexplicably in the doghouse.
But how can this offense be so impotent? What has Doug done to install as offensive principles?
Yeah, I think this team needs plays. They don’t know how to read and react and work for each other.
I didn’t see any semblance of an offensive play on several possessions during this game.
Correction: offensive system
The play was quite offensive.
I feel so sorry for Gary Gerould. He’s so amazing on the radio, and apart from a very few good years, the guy has to call games like this on a regular basis.
The G Man needs to be put into the Basketball Hall of Fame, for sure. People calling out plays on the radio like he does is definitely a dying breed and he’s one of the last standing. Just doing it as long as he does, through all of these years of Basketball hell, by itself deserves commendation.
Just my opinion. These guys have been playing this game since they were 2 years old. They know how to play, they just don’t want to.
It’s another Vivek roster building problem. Too many players who need the ball to score and don’t know how to adapt without it.
Yup, quite literally too many cooks in the kitchen.
Nah. There are certainly Vivek and Perry problems, of course. And plenty of them.
But this specifically is a Doug problem by not instilling any system, structure or discipline to the offense. He’s doing nothing to exploit the strengths of his main players and mitigate the weaknesses. On defense, you can say that there are no strengths and it is nearly impossible to mitigate the weaknesses. The same can’t be said for the offense.
He’s completely out of his depth.
His “read and react” offense requires high IQ players, and the roster doesn’t really have those players. It’s a freelance offense where the ball dominant players are more concerned with their numbers than the team numbers.
Doug isn’t the right coach for this group. This group isn’t the right group for this coach. Doug needs to do a better job, and so do the players.
You can just see the tip of the crown in the bottom left corner. If you click the link you can see it in full glory…
3 of the starting five were late, last minute, and in season respectively vet minimum pickups. Resulting play level is as expected.
Wow! That was fugly.
But, it’s like Kayte says, “Lose a shoe, get an advantage.”
And it looks like Doug is growing a goatee, or someone switched him out for an alternate universe evil Doug.
This is the darkest timeline.
It’s the start of his witness protection disguise after he turns state’s evidence on this travishamockershitshow.
Vivek sucks. Apathetic boo to this whole organization.
At least we can look forward to another one of Scott Pery’s inspirational Monday quotes.
#SelltheTeam
My thoughts on this game? I enjoyed watching Fox and the Spurs play (and win of course) tonight.
I am sincerely happy to see Foxy and HB play for an organization that cares about basketball.
Your Sacramento Kings: A jugger not.
It has finally dawned on me that this website, kingsherald, goes the way of the Sacramento kings. A couple years ago this site was running smooth, just like the sac kings, both believing the Beam was intact. Now look at it, the kings are anything but kingly and this site is running slow, constantly kicking me off. And the beam hasn’t been seen for weeks.
But seriously, love this site, and, grudgingly, the kings. I hope it doesn’t take another decade of dumpster fires before we can sniff the playoffs again. I say trade everyone for second round picks if that is all you can get. These players don’t care. You can’t lose by double digits for this long and still care.
Fify
Is it too late for the Kings to join the WNBA? I mean at least the talent level of the this team might be able to compete with the effort level of the ladies!
If relegation were a thing in the NBA, the Kings would need a couple of rich British actors to buy the team and start a redemptive reality tv show to fix things.
Vivek Ranadive and “Wrecks ’em” would be on point.
The (Mitch) Richmond Way? I’d Lasso that.
Worst offensive efficiency and 2nd worst defensive efficiency. Only the Wiz are worse on paper. The difference is, their cap sheet is clean. Middleton and CJ McCollum, their two largest contracts, come off the books next summer. And how did they get those two expiring deals? Middleton came with prospect AJ Johnson and a pick swap for Kuzma. McCollum came with Cam Whitmore in exchange for Jordan Poole.
The Wiz know what they are doing. They were able to unload freaking Kuzma and Poole for expiring deals and prospects. The Kings need to follow suit when it comes to DDR, Monk, LaVine, etc.
New starting lineup: Max, Cardwell, Keon, Clifford, Murray. Bench: Whoever commits to and actually plays defense. No guaranteed minutes or ego assuagement just because someone is a “vet”. No effort or intensity, especially on D? You ain’t seeing the light of day and I don’t care if you’ve been in the league 2 years or 20.
Feel free to have as many chairs as you like between yourself and the coaching staff. That’ll just make easier to identify who needs to be traded asap so we can clean out the underbrush.
Preseason Kings fan: “This roster SUCKS!”
(Kings play poorly)
Also Kings fan: “EFF THESE GUYS SHIP EM OUT IF THEY DON’T WANT TO BE HERE!”
Nah, I wanted these guys shipped out even if they did want to be here.
Why can’t both of those be correct?
Just spent some time with some Ringer basketball courts, one hand hand you had Zach Lowe and Bill Simmons just mock Viveks meddling ways, then on the Mismatch Chris Vernon who works for the Grizz was just appalled at the Kings no show in Memphis last night, he joked that Christie might be fired by the end of the weekend as all of the Vets on the team just have quit, no defense, no effort said he has never seen anything like it.
Part of me is glad that maybe this will get it through Vivek’s dumb-ass head to blow up the organization. The other part of me is afraid Vivek’s dumb-ass head will make everything worse and we’ll have another iteration of trying to stay relevant with Mikki Moore types – the kind of incompetent rebuild that has left this team dwindling in purgatory the past 20 or so years.
Badge Legend